A report to the Jefferson city council by the Jefferson tree committee included information about a proposed new project and a dire warning about emerald ash borers. The report was an agenda item at the Nov. 26 council meeting.
Lynn Menz, chair of the tree committee, reported that the committee planted 39 new trees east of Bett & Bev’s where the service road was built in conjunction with the Highway 4 overpass. Included were 10 hackberry trees, 10 tulip trees, six American linden, five prairie fire crabapple trees, five serviceberry trees, and three Winter King hawthorne trees. Menz said not all survived, but those that did not will hopefully be replaced next spring.
The committee also replaced 10 arbor vitae in the Jefferson Municipal Cemetery.
The work of the tree committee is funded by a $2,000 annual allocation in the city’s park budget and additional funds, such as Alliant Energy’s Branching Out grant program.
In addition to those planted by the tree committee, another 37 trees were planted at the new Paul Nally Park in northeast Jefferson.
Menz reported 300 volunteer hours by the tree committee, not including work done by eighth grade science classes. Additionally, the Greene County High School National Honor Society chapter picked up litter at the north city entrance. He noted that watering was required due to the drought the last two summers. “Carole Fisher has done most of that. She’s just unbelievable in the time she’s put in,” Menz said.
Menz told the council the committee is considering the location for planting trees next year. The committee is thinking of focusing on a specific street and finding places in the space between the sidewalk and street in which to plant trees. He reminded the council that a few years ago the committee focused on Lincoln Way. “Every time I drive on West Lincoln Way, especially in the fall of the year, there’s a whole bunch of autumn purple ash, and they just put on a show. By the Lutheran church, there are lindens that are just beautiful. They don’t look that way unless you get them planted,” Menz said.
Menz was advised to work with the council’s street committee for recommendations for the location of trees. Council member Shannon Black suggested that although the city retains jurisdiction over the space between the sidewalk and the street, homeowners should be asked. “Although it is city parking area, that’s still the homeowners maintaining that piece of the lawn. I think it’s best if you at least ask if they want a tree, rather than making them feel as though you’re making them have it,” Black said.
Brad Riphagen of Jefferson, a field coordinator for Trees Forever, works closely with the Jefferson tree committee. He talked with the city council about the value of trees. He provided dollar figures provided by researchers about the value of trees in a community. He said arborists are working to raise awareness that it is more prudent to plant larger trees rather than younger, smaller trees because of additional value over the life of the tree.
He provided dollar values for the 39 trees planted by the committee this year. With every tree at 1 inch in diameter, the total value is $85. Total value if every tree were to grow to 10 inches in diameter would be $2,477, and if every tree grows to 20 inches, total value would be $5,990.
“Trees have value, so when the emerald ash borer does get here, and it will, we’d like to see trees replaced when they have to come out,” Riphagen said.
Riphagen told the council that the purple ash trees Menz mentioned do not have resistance to the emerald ash borer. He said that in Jefferson, one-third of the trees are ash trees. He asked the council to begin thinking about addressing the problem when it comes. Some cities in eastern Iowa are being proactive in removing unhealthy trees that are susceptible to emerald ash borer. Trees Forever is working with some cities doing inventories with the Department of Natural Resources of the city’s trees, to help them know what they may have to deal with.
Riphagen said the tree committee is discussing helping developing an inventory of the trees in Jefferson. “That’s a great place to start, and also there are plans to look at how we can help address the issue once it gets here,” he said.
The closest Iowa community that has emerald ash borers is Fairfield. According to Riphagen, the insect was probably there four or five years before it was found. “It’s just a matter of when it gets here,” he said.
He said that encouraging people not to move firewood is the best way to decrease the risk to local trees. The tree committee is also working to diversify the trees planted in Jefferson; no ash or maple trees were planted this year. “We have a lot of maples, too, and we don’t want to have the same issue we’re having with the ash trees,” he said.
Menz noted that the tree committee is always eager for new members and extended a public invitation to potential volunteers.
